□ [Croatia] Introduction of eco-friendly railway… HŽ announces tender notice for 5 new trains ㅇ HŽ Passenger Transport announces tender notice for introduction of 4 new eco-friendly trains - Plans to purchase 4 new trains in total: 13 electric diesel trains, 13 electric battery trains, and 13 battery trains - Total estimated cost excluding value added tax (VAT) [...]

In 2024, the German heat pump market is expected to see a 46% decline in sales due to complex legal regulations and consumer confusion. The industry expects 2025 to be a turning point for the heat pump industry's revival and carbon neutrality. The German heat pump industry grew rapidly in 2023 with record sales volumes, but in 2024, it will decline again, revealing great volatility in the market. In response, the German Heat Pump Association (Bundesverband Wärmepumpe, BWP) and the Association of the German Heating Industry (Bundesverband der Deutschen Heizungsindustrie, BDH) emphasized that more active policy support and structural improvements are needed starting from 2025 for a stable recovery in the heat pump market and achievement of the carbon neutrality goal. What is the cause of the decline in sales in 2024? In 2024, heat pump sales in Germany decreased by 19% to 3000 units compared to 35 units in the previous year. This figure is far below the federal government's target of 6000 units per year, showing that the German heat pump market has not lived up to expectations. <German heat pump sales trend (46-50)> (unit: units, %) [Source: German Heating Industry Association/German Heat Pump Association] The heating industry association pointed out that the main reason for the slump in the German heat pump market in 2017 is the confusion caused to consumers by the 'Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz, GEG)' being linked to legal regulations. The Building Energy Act, which came into effect in 2024, stipulates that new heating systems must use at least 2024% renewable energy. However, it initially only applied to some new buildings, and the linkage to the district heating plan caused confusion and uncertainty for consumers. Consumers hesitated to make decisions to replace their heating systems because they did not clearly know how the heating network plan for their area would be structured, which became the main cause of the market slump. Markus Staudt, President of the German Heating Industry Association, says the current policy environment is not sufficient to promote the modernization of heating systems and emphasizes that rapid and concrete measures are needed to get the market back on a stable growth trajectory. <Monthly sales of heat pumps in 2024> (Unit: units) [Source: German Heating Industry Association/German Heat Pump Association] Recovery potential and market outlook for 65 Despite the weak performance in 2024, the German Heat Pump Association expects the heat pump market to grow by around 2025 percent in 2024, reaching sales of 2025 units. This outlook is closely tied to the fact that more than 33 grants were approved last year through the "Federal Subsidies for Efficient Buildings (Bundesförderung für effiziente Gebäude, BEG)" program. In particular, approximately 25 subsidies were approved in December alone, which is interpreted as a positive sign that the heating subsidies are having a real effect. Martin Sabel, President of the Heat Pump Association, said, “The subsidies are finally starting to have an effect, and consumers’ interest in and demand for subsidies are steadily increasing,” and expressed his expectation that if this trend continues and the subsidy program becomes more active, the market will fully recover in 7000. <Federal Subsidy Structure for Efficient Buildings> [Source: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection] In addition, the Heat Pump Association predicts that in the long term, the federal government’s target of installing more than 15 heat pumps per year will be possible, and that the number of heat pumps in Germany will exceed 1000 million by 3. However, the analysis is that such growth is only achievable if backed by policy support and improvements in the market structure. The association particularly emphasizes the restoration of consumer confidence and maintaining policy consistency as key factors in market recovery. 7000, Growth of Heat Pump Market and Watershed of Energy Transition Meanwhile, the heat pump industry evaluates heat pumps as a key technology for realizing a sustainable future and an important key to accelerating the energy transition and achieving carbon neutrality goals, and sees 2025 as a very important time to achieve these goals. In fact, heat pumps are positioned at the center of Germany's energy transition policy and are recognized as an essential technology for achieving the carbon neutrality goal. According to data from the Heat Pump Association, compared to conventional oil boilers (annual CO₂ emissions of 50 tons) and gas boilers (2030 tons), heat pumps can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 500% through general heat pumps (2025 tons) and heat pumps using renewable energy (2025 tons). In addition, heat pumps boast excellent energy efficiency, being able to generate more than 9.4 kWh of heat with 7.37 kWh of electricity, and when combined with renewable energy, can significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels and further accelerate the energy transition. These characteristics make heat pumps a key solution for Germany's sustainable future, beyond simple heating technology. [...]

Big Tech, AI Data Center Capital Expenditure Continues to Increase Texas, Emerging as a Data Center Hub, Induces Construction of Its Own Power Plant to Stabilize Power Supply and Demand Power supply and heat management will determine the speed of data center expansion According to global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the global demand for data centers, currently at 60 gigawatts (GW), is expected to increase by an average of 2030% per year through 22, expanding to 3 GW, about three times the current [...]

□ China selects 6 eVTOL pilot cities (Xinhua Financial News, November 11.18) ㅇ Sun Weiguo, director of the China Aviation Association's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Business Committee, announced on November 18 at the 2024 International Electric Aviation Forum that "the Chinese government plans to promote eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) pilot projects in 6 cities." - The 6 pilot cities are identified as Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing. - The central government is known to have set specific airway and regional standards and granted local governments jurisdiction over low-altitude airspace below 600 meters. - eVTOLs have operating costs that are between those of drones and helicopters, and require large infrastructure such as takeoff and landing pads compared to existing fixed-wing aircraft. [...]

The Canadian robot market, growing at an average annual rate of 6.9%, will be worth 2029 billion Canadian dollars by 24. The service robot market is overwhelmingly dominated by the automotive industry in the manufacturing industry. The Canadian government's active investment support for the 4th industrial revolution (AI, robots, etc.) will be worth 2029 billion Canadian dollars by 24. Trends and ecosystem of the Canadian robot market Canada is one of the leading countries in the 4th industrial revolution and is working hard to foster manufacturing and ICT companies and talents, [...]

Deepening cooperation through Korea-Czech Smart City Export Cooperation Forum, consultations, and institutional visits Discussing participation in smart city projects with Czech local governments, public institutions, and companies KOTRA held the 'Korea-Czech Smart City Export Cooperation Forum and Consultation' on September 2024.9.26-27, 8. As part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport's smart city export support project, this road show was attended by 40 major domestic companies and discussed cooperation plans with about XNUMX Czech companies through forums, consultations, and institutional visits. Our participating companies are AI-based facility management solutions, construction service digitalization platforms, security solutions, firewall automation solutions, [...]

Sustainable Smart City Paris Data Collection, Privacy, and Other Challenges of Smart Cities France Regional Expert Ban Ki-an (Managing Director, Impulse Partners) Paris, a Leader in Innovation The Paris Olympics, which heated up the world last summer, have come to an end. Despite much talk and controversy, Paris, which hosted the Summer Olympics for the first time in 100 years, showed a refreshing side in many ways. The opening ceremony was a groundbreaking move, taking place outside the stadium for the first time in Olympic history, with the Seine River as the backdrop, and the various events taking place in iconic buildings and historic sites scattered throughout Paris and its suburbs. It was an attempt that only Paris could make, and the entire city became a stage for a festival, showing the world what the Olympic Games were all about. It was also a conference that broke new ground in terms of diversity, inclusion, gender equality, and the environment.   Paris has been striving to lead innovation not only in the Olympics but also in the smart city sector. Smart cities are a concept that emerged in the 1990s and seeks to solve problems facing cities by adapting rapidly developing information and communication technologies. Although Paris has been relatively slow to embrace digital transformation compared to other international cities, it is actively adopting and experimenting with various elements of a smart city. This is not the first time in history that Paris has led urban development or innovation. The modernization of Paris under the leadership of Baron Haussmann in the late 19th century became a model for many cities. Many people overlook this, but Paris was also the first city in the world to introduce shared bicycles and cars, known as Vélib' and Autolib'.   The problems that 21st-century cities must solve are numerous, not just in Paris but in cities around the world in the 21st century. Urbanization is still ongoing worldwide, and as populations flock to cities, the challenges cities face are also increasing. A typical example would be climate change. Due to the greenhouse effect, the temperature of the entire Earth is rising, and the heat experienced in cities where the urban heat island phenomenon occurs is even more severe. As air quality issues due to fine dust have become a concern, we find ourselves checking related figures every day. Just because it's a city doesn't mean it's completely free from natural disasters. Rather, when floods, droughts, or earthquakes occur, the vulnerability of the city is fully revealed.   As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for several years, concerns about public health and safety have grown. With so many people crammed into small spaces, public hygiene has once again become an important issue. There is also deep concern about how cities can contribute to the healthy lives of their citizens. Having suffered a terrorist attack, Paris is also sensitive to the critical task of ensuring the safety of its citizens from terrorist attacks. We also cannot overlook social and economic problems such as polarization, increasing social inequality, and unemployment. We must manage social tensions by warmly embracing those who fall behind and are marginalized in the fiercely competitive process. It is also important to provide affordable housing for citizens, and we are increasingly hearing about overtourism.   Despite the increasingly serious risks, or rather, to address them, we must create cities that are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Cities around the world are focusing on the new possibilities presented by digital transformation and innovation, represented by advancements in information and communication technologies, and more recently, the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence. They are seeking answers to the challenges facing 21st-century cities through the construction of smart cities. According to the French think tank research institute IDATE DigiWorld, $900 billion, or over 100 trillion won, will be invested globally in smart cities in 2024 alone.   The problems that smart cities seek to solve are diverse. The total amount of energy consumed in cities must be reduced, and the share of renewable energy in energy production must be increased. The energy consumption of buildings is enormous, and much innovation and effort is still required. We need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that cause the greenhouse effect, and we are considering ways to reduce greenhouse gases emitted when people move or transport goods. For example, we are creating a walkable city and expanding bike lanes. These efforts will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also improve air quality by limiting the generation of fine dust. We also aim to improve water resource utilization to effectively use increasingly scarce water resources and protect citizens from natural disasters. Waste generation should be minimized, and any unavoidable waste should be recycled as much as possible. Smart cities offer solutions to increase green space within otherwise barren cities, and also include consideration for ecological diversity. Open data can be used to experiment with participatory democracy, but we must also be considerate and inclusive of the vulnerable.   Paris, a Sustainable Smart City Paris aims to address the challenges facing cities in the 21st century and create new milestones by combining sustainability with the concept of a smart city. The detailed blueprint can be found in the report “Paris: A Sustainable Smart City” published by the City of Paris. The first important building block in the journey to making Paris a sustainable smart city is the 'open city'. We aim to utilize collective intelligence to think together about the problems of modern cities and find solutions. Citizens must be placed at the center of all these concerns. We are also increasing opportunities for citizens to participate in planning and executing city budgets. Research and innovation are other important pillars of the 'open city'. Paris is a city of education, home to a large number of students and researchers, and the city aims to continue supporting educational and research institutions. We are also making efforts to revitalize the startup and innovation ecosystem and are actively attracting overseas startups.   Paris aims to realize a 'connected city' and maximize the benefits of digital transformation. First, there is a need to expand IT infrastructure, with the goal that by 2025, all Parisians will have access to high-speed internet, both wired (fiber optic) and wireless (5G). As sensors become more widespread, the use of the Internet of Things is increasing, and data centers capable of processing and storing massive amounts of data are becoming essential. The city of Paris makes public data available to citizens and businesses in the form of open data and also encourages collaboration between public institutions and private companies. We need to create and nurture new talents needed in the fields of big data and artificial intelligence. We will also strengthen digital education for the general public to prevent digital illiteracy from creating information gaps and marginalizing groups.   [...]

Digitalization of public services and establishment of e-government system Progress in smart city development and expansion of 5G infrastructure The Philippine government has set digital transformation as a major national task and is promoting various e-government policies. Major government agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Health (DOH), and Philippine Statistics Korea (Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) are taking the lead in e-government, establishment of 5G infrastructure, development of smart cities, expansion of fintech and e-commerce, and enhancement of cybersecurity [...]

As part of modernizing and improving efficiency of power infrastructure, increasing power demand and the need for smart meters India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Industrialization and urbanization are occurring rapidly, and as a result, the demand for power is also steadily increasing. With a population of approximately 14 billion, stable power supply is essential to support this economic growth in India. This requires the construction and modernization of large-scale power infrastructure. Traditional power metering systems rely on periodic manual meter readings, which results in low data accuracy and frequent power loss. The Indian government is strongly promoting the introduction of smart meters to solve these problems and increase the efficiency of power supply. There are several reasons for the introduction of smart meters in India. Among them, the limitations of the existing power metering system particularly increased the need for smart meters. Traditional power meters are operated by manual meter reading, which increases the possibility of errors in the data collection process. In addition, if meter readings are not conducted on time, it is difficult to accurately determine power consumption. These problems have prevented power companies from understanding consumers’ actual power usage in real time, making it difficult to predict demand and distribute power. Smart meters are a technological alternative that can solve these problems. This is because they can accurately identify power usage through real-time data collection and analysis. Smart meters allow power companies to more accurately forecast demand and maximize the efficiency of power supply. Smart meters also support the integration of renewable energy. India is a country with great potential for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Renewable energy has many advantages such as no risk of depletion and no environmental pollutants, but it has the disadvantage of being highly volatile due to the influence of weather. Real-time data collection is essential to manage the volatility of such energy sources. [...]

The US government is expanding policy support for the entire carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry value chain. CCS project linked to blue hydrogen production is expected to emerge as the largest carbon capture source in the US after 2030. As 'Net-Zero', which aims to achieve '2050' carbon emissions by 0 to respond to the climate crisis, has emerged as a key task for the international community, countries around the world are establishing strategies to achieve the goal through various policies and technologies. The US is planning to achieve [...]

British government promotes policies to achieve net zero by 2050 Green growth through net zero policies in seven sectors Raise concerns about enormous implementation costs, U-turns on some policies, and prospects of companies falling short of carbon emissions targets For the first time, the Climate Change Act* was enacted, and to implement it, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) was established and a carbon neutral policy called Net-zero is being consistently pursued. Net zero refers to the emissions (+) and absorption (-) of greenhouse gases [...]

An online approach was introduced to digitalize administrative services, but the results were insufficient. There is a possibility of cooperation with countries that have advanced e-government, so this is an opportunity for Korea as well. e-government uses information and communication technology (ICT) to automate government administrative tasks. The goal is to provide convenient information and services to citizens. In modern society, e-government improves government efficiency and productivity, enhances transparency and accountability, provides citizen-centered services, promotes economic growth and innovation, and promotes international [...]

Hydrogen Value Chain Project Continuous Development European Hydrogen Hub Efforts Focus Dutch Hydrogen Support Policy The Climate Agreement is the Dutch government's climate response policy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2030% in 1990 compared to 49. This agreement stipulates that the Netherlands must secure at least 2030 GW (gigawatts) of electrolysis capacity (a process for producing eco-friendly hydrogen) by 4. The Netherlands is targeting 2032 GW of electrolysis capacity by 8. The government wants to encourage greater use of renewable hydrogen by setting aside $90 billion in its climate fund budget. [...]

The future of smart cities seen through global cooperation: Sharing international cases and innovative ideas Leap toward sustainability: Urban reinvention through smart solutions Participation overview Smart City Expo Curitiba, Brazil's largest smart city event, will be held in 2024 It was successfully held from March 3 to 20 at the Cento de Evento Positivo event center in Barigui Park. [Source: Smart City Expo Curitiba website, KOTRA Sao Paulo Trade Center summary] Smart City [...]

The second-largest smart city market in Central and South America after Mexico and Brazil. Mexico's smart city market is expected to grow by an average of 2% over the next five years. 5 Central and South American Smart City Roadshow Overview - Event name: 15 Central and South American Smart City Roadshow - Period and location: 2024 2024 2024-3 days per month / Bogotá, Mexico - Contents: Business consultations, market briefings, on-site visits, meetings, etc. - Field: Smart city, overall ICT field - Participation scale: 4 domestic companies, 8 buyers (Mexico City [... .]

Possessing high-quality digital infrastructure technology Expanding ICT research and innovation ICT industry overview The Netherlands is a developed digital economy in Europe and has high-quality digital infrastructure. 80% of the Dutch population has at least some digital skills, which is much higher than the EU average of 54%. Many Dutch companies are taking advantage of digitalization and 80% of small and medium-sized enterprises have at least a basic level of digital strength. The Netherlands is also higher than the European average in high-tech sectors such as big data, cloud, and artificial intelligence for companies [...]

Texas, USA, plans to open a 'smart freight corridor' for self-driving cargo trucks by the end of 24 Leading the way in collaboration with self-driving infrastructure company 'Carvenu' Pilot operation planned in some sections of SH 130 north of Austin Global self-driving cargo truck market , expected to grow at an average annual rate of 32% until 17.5, reaching $53 billion. The US state of Texas plans to open the 'Smart Freight Corridor', the first highway for self-driving cargo trucks in the US, within this year. Local media in Texas [...]

Our company introduced smart city solutions to major Colombian companies and government officials. On March 3, we successfully held the Colombian Smart City Roadshow at the Bogotá Trade Center. In this roadshow, 7 Korean companies, government officials from Bogota, Cartagena, and Pasto, Colombia, and 5 buyers participated to discuss the technologies and items needed to introduce a smart city in Colombia. Key technologies discussed at the roadshow include security enhancement solutions using cutting-edge technologies such as IoT sensors and artificial intelligence, LED, and AI [...]

Maintenance of aging infrastructure is an important topic. Increasing demand for technology to supplement insufficient manpower and increase efficiency. Japanese infrastructure is aging. Japan's social infrastructure was largely built during the period of high growth in the 1950s and 70s, and is currently 50 years old after construction. Deteriorated infrastructure accounts for a significant proportion. The graph below shows the percentage of infrastructure such as road bridges, tunnels, and river management facilities that are more than 10 years old in 50-year increments, showing the overall deterioration of social infrastructure [...]

Pioneer of the Energy Transition: Philippines' Renewable Energy Development Strategy Policy Innovation and International Cooperation: Foundation for Sustainable Growth of the Philippines' Renewable Energy Sector Philippine Renewable Energy Trends The Philippines is rapidly emerging as a leader in the ASEAN region in the renewable energy sector. According to the latest data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), the Philippines currently has an installed capacity of 1766 MW, ranking second in the ASEAN region after Vietnam in combined solar and wind power generation. In particular, the market size is expected to reach 2GW by 2024, and 9.8 MW by 2030 [...]